PURPOSE: To cut and divide food products into sticks or slices without causing surface cracking by providing a knife with a cutting portion with a cutting edge extending in the plane of the cutting edge and a blade securing portion having a means to exert tension on the knife blade at a nearly cutting edge.

CONSTITUTION: A knife blade 10 has a cutting portion 12a forming a cutting edge 12d and is secured in a knife assembly such that a tension force is exerted on the knife blade 10 by the face of the cutting edge 12d. the cutting edge 12d of the knife blade 10 is not sharp, but is generally flat and extends between parallel sides of the knife blade 10. The individual knife blades 10 are formed of stainless steel and are electro-polished to remove any surface defects or sharp edges which may produce stress concentration. This constitution makes it possible to always exert a large tension force on the knife blade without shortening the service life of the knife.